A recent column covered a game by Yu Yangyi, who had spearheaded the Chinese team to victory in the 2014 Olympiad in Norway. The 20 year old Yu confirmed his promise last month with a career best result in the 2014 Qatar Masters Open in Doha. The giant Swiss tournament of 154 players from 40 countries, including 92 grandmasters, was immensely strong. Rated at 2705, Yu was only 13th seed. Top seed was another 20-year-old, Anish Giri of the Netherlands, but pre-tournament favourite was second seeded Vladimir Kramnik, the ex-world champion from Russia.
With only nine rounds, events like these tend to be extremely cut-throat, as only a very high score would clinch the US$25,000 first prize. Kramnik appeared to be out of the running after two draws in the opening rounds against lower rated players. Giri started stared with six straight wins to open a point lead over Kramnik with a larger group including Yu half a point further back. Kramnik beat Giri in their 7th round game to join him in the lead. However, it was Yu who had the legs to finish, beating first Giri then Kramnik to take the first prize on 7½/9. Giri and Kramnik shared second place on 7 points, splitting another US$25,000 between them.
Today's game is the final round decider. Yu has the white pieces against Kramnik.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3
Kramnik was responsible for discovering the drawing qualities of the Berlin Defence in his victorious world championship match with Garry Kasparov. Beating him in this opening is extremely difficult. Yu avoids the more popular 4.O-O leading to an early queen swap after 4... Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5. 4... Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.Nbd2
The exchange of bishop for knight doubled the black pawns and weakened e5, but it is premature to take the pawn: 6.Nxe5? Qd4 7.Be3 Qxe5 8.d4 Qxe4 9.dxc5 Qxg2 and Black is winning. 6... Be6 7.O-O Nd7 8.Nb3 Bb6
Preserving the bishop on the most active diagonal, but allowing White to force the exchange knight for the other black bishop. 9.Ng5 Bxb3 10.axb3 f6 11.Nf3 Nf8 12.Nd2!
Bringing the knight to the queenside and in particular the c4 square in front of the doubled pawns. From here it will deter Black from castling on that side, harass the black bishop and hinder the advance of the black f-pawn. 12... Ne6 13.Qh5+!? g6 14.Qd1
White's expenditure of two tempi with queen was simply to loosen the black kingside pawn structure. The queen is needed on d1 to support the c-pawn against a possible … Nd4. 14... Bc5 15.Nc4 b5?!
A critical decision. Black ejects the knight from its outpost to the edge of the board, but at the same time weakens his a and c-pawns. Kramnik judges that his kingside chances will outweigh the pawn weaknesses. 15... O-O is roughly equal. 16.Na5 Qd7 17.Be3 Bb6 18.b4! O-O
If 18... c5 to rid himself of the doubled pawn then 19.bxc5 Bxc5 20.Nb3 Bb6 (20... Bxe3?! 21.fxe3 opens the f-file for the White rook and denies the Black knight the d4 and f4 squares) 21.Bxb6! cxb6 22.c3 O-O 23.d4 creates a strong central passed pawn. 19.Qd2 f5
Committing to a kingside attack at the expense of his queenside. The alternative was 19... c5 20.bxc5 Bxc5 21.Nb3 Bxe3 22.fxe3! c5 23.Ra6 Rc8 24.Qa5 Rf7 25.Nd2 when White has a persistent edge. 20.exf5 gxf5?
The wrong recapture, leading to an attack that is too slow. Doubling rooks on the f-file 20... Rxf5! 21.Qc3 Raf8 keeps the balance: 22.Rae1 (22.Nxc6? Nd4! 23.Nxd4 exd4 wins a piece, and 22.Qxc6?! Qf7 or 22.Bxb6?! axb6 23.Nxc6 Nf4 24.Rae1 Rg5 lead to a strong attack on the white king) 22... Nd4 holding the queenside. 21.Qc3 f4
Saving the c6 pawn by 21... Bxa5 22.Rxa5 Nd4 23.Bxd4 exd4 24.Qd2 f4 25.f3 leads to a position where is is only a matter of time before the weak black pawns are picked off. 22.Bxb6 cxb6 23.Nxc6 Qd6!?
Offering a second pawn to draw the white pieces away from the kingside. 23... Nd4 24.Nxd4 exd4 25.Qd2 is similar to the variation above. White calculates it is safe to take the loot. 24.Rxa7! Rxa7 25.Nxa7 f3 26.Qc6 Qe7 27.Nxb5 Kh8
Nor does 27....fxg2 28.Kxg2 Nf4+ 29.Kh1 lead to mate. 28.g3 Qf7 29.Ra1!
The exchange of rooks efficiently drains the venom from Black, leaving a won ending. 29... Ng5 30.Ra8 Qe7 31.h4 Nh3+ 32.Kf1 e4 33.Qxe4 Resigns
Yu wins Qatar Masters
Problem: Black to play and mate in 4.
A recent column covered a game by Yu Yangyi, who had spearheaded the Chinese team to victory in the 2014 Olympiad in Norway. The 20 year old Yu confirmed his promise last month with a career best result in the 2014 Qatar Masters Open in Doha. The giant Swiss tournament of 154 players from 40 countries, including 92 grandmasters, was immensely strong. Rated at 2705, Yu was only 13th seed. Top seed was another 20-year-old, Anish Giri of the Netherlands, but pre-tournament favourite was second seeded Vladimir Kramnik, the ex-world champion from Russia.
With only nine rounds, events like these tend to be extremely cut-throat, as only a very high score would clinch the US$25,000 first prize. Kramnik appeared to be out of the running after two draws in the opening rounds against lower rated players. Giri started stared with six straight wins to open a point lead over Kramnik with a larger group including Yu half a point further back. Kramnik beat Giri in their 7th round game to join him in the lead. However, it was Yu who had the legs to finish, beating first Giri then Kramnik to take the first prize on 7½/9. Giri and Kramnik shared second place on 7 points, splitting another US$25,000 between them.
Today's game is the final round decider. Yu has the white pieces against Kramnik.
1.e4 e5
2.Nf3 Nc6
3.Bb5 Nf6
4.d3
Kramnik was responsible for discovering the drawing qualities of the Berlin Defence in his victorious world championship match with Garry Kasparov. Beating him in this opening is extremely difficult. Yu avoids the more popular 4.O-O leading to an early queen swap after 4... Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5.
4... Bc5
5.Bxc6 dxc6
6.Nbd2
The exchange of bishop for knight doubled the black pawns and weakened e5, but it is premature to take the pawn: 6.Nxe5? Qd4 7.Be3 Qxe5 8.d4 Qxe4 9.dxc5 Qxg2 and Black is winning.
6... Be6
7.O-O Nd7
8.Nb3 Bb6
Preserving the bishop on the most active diagonal, but allowing White to force the exchange knight for the other black bishop.
9.Ng5 Bxb3
10.axb3 f6
11.Nf3 Nf8
12.Nd2!
Bringing the knight to the queenside and in particular the c4 square in front of the doubled pawns. From here it will deter Black from castling on that side, harass the black bishop and hinder the advance of the black f-pawn.
12... Ne6
13.Qh5+!? g6
14.Qd1
White's expenditure of two tempi with queen was simply to loosen the black kingside pawn structure. The queen is needed on d1 to support the c-pawn against a possible … Nd4.
14... Bc5
15.Nc4 b5?!
A critical decision. Black ejects the knight from its outpost to the edge of the board, but at the same time weakens his a and c-pawns. Kramnik judges that his kingside chances will outweigh the pawn weaknesses. 15... O-O is roughly equal.
16.Na5 Qd7
17.Be3 Bb6
18.b4! O-O
If 18... c5 to rid himself of the doubled pawn then 19.bxc5 Bxc5 20.Nb3 Bb6 (20... Bxe3?! 21.fxe3 opens the f-file for the White rook and denies the Black knight the d4 and f4 squares) 21.Bxb6! cxb6 22.c3 O-O 23.d4 creates a strong central passed pawn.
19.Qd2 f5
Committing to a kingside attack at the expense of his queenside. The alternative was 19... c5 20.bxc5 Bxc5 21.Nb3 Bxe3 22.fxe3! c5 23.Ra6 Rc8 24.Qa5 Rf7 25.Nd2 when White has a persistent edge.
20.exf5 gxf5?
The wrong recapture, leading to an attack that is too slow. Doubling rooks on the f-file 20... Rxf5! 21.Qc3 Raf8 keeps the balance: 22.Rae1 (22.Nxc6? Nd4! 23.Nxd4 exd4 wins a piece, and 22.Qxc6?! Qf7 or 22.Bxb6?! axb6 23.Nxc6 Nf4 24.Rae1 Rg5 lead to a strong attack on the white king) 22... Nd4 holding the queenside.
21.Qc3 f4
Saving the c6 pawn by 21... Bxa5 22.Rxa5 Nd4 23.Bxd4 exd4 24.Qd2 f4 25.f3 leads to a position where is is only a matter of time before the weak black pawns are picked off.
22.Bxb6 cxb6
23.Nxc6 Qd6!?
Offering a second pawn to draw the white pieces away from the kingside. 23... Nd4 24.Nxd4 exd4 25.Qd2 is similar to the variation above. White calculates it is safe to take the loot.
24.Rxa7! Rxa7
25.Nxa7 f3
26.Qc6 Qe7
27.Nxb5 Kh8
Nor does 27....fxg2 28.Kxg2 Nf4+ 29.Kh1 lead to mate.
28.g3 Qf7
29.Ra1!
The exchange of rooks efficiently drains the venom from Black, leaving a won ending.
29... Ng5
30.Ra8 Qe7
31.h4 Nh3+
32.Kf1 e4
33.Qxe4 Resigns
1-0
Solution: 1... Ra1+! 2. Kxa1 Qa6+ 3. Kb1 Qa2+ 4. Kc1 Qa1#.